Well, Mr. Speaker, let me maybe just explain, again, what the vaccinated policy is for the Government of the Northwest Territories. I think that's what the question was.
Vaccines have, and continue to be, the most effective way of preventing not only transmission but also serious illness. And Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of sitting with the Chief Public Health Officer where she has reiterated that science to us repeatedly, that this is the single best way of preventing severe illness. We've obviously realized with omicron that the nature of the COVID virus is changing, it's evolving, as viruses do. And that is where we were seeing a change in the approach from the public health agency and, as a result, a change in the approach by the Department of Finance on behalf of the public service.
Our vaccine policy was not mirrored on the federal policy. Our vaccine policy was done in keeping in mind the advice of the Chief Public Health Officer here and in looking at the approach of other jurisdictions all across Canada.
As we've seen the change in the Chief Public Health Office and the health approach here in the Northwest Territories, so we too at the Department of Finance are modifying our vaccine policy, which is something I know I have committed to doing several times.
So at present, or rather starting imminently now, what we're going to be suggesting as of tomorrow is that it would be proof of vaccine is required for individuals who work with vulnerable members of the public in healthcare, educations, and corrections. This is just to continue, as we are coming down the wave of the omicron variant, to ensure that those who are most vulnerable, either themselves or working with most vulnerable, are still given the best possible form of protection and those working in federally-regulated work sites.
Mr. Speaker, I have no jurisdiction to change the rules of the federal government, for instance with respect to airlines, and those individuals, therefore, have to continue to be vaccinated. The alternative, it's never been a mandatory policy here in the Northwest Territories other than for those who are those federally-regulated sites. Employees who aren't within the vulnerable sectors can continue to be tested and wear PPE. If you do have to attend a federal work site, again, Mr. Speaker, that is out of my hands, and at that point they have to comply with the fact that the federal government will continue to have mandatory policies for them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.